Dark Side of the Light
by Spunky0ne
Summary: When Ywach's dead body and powers begin to break down, Squad Zero to awaken the king's prism to attempt a royal rebirth. Ichigo is chosen to bear the king's reiatsu in his body and Byakuya to stabilize it until the rebirth, but neither man realizes the terrible toll that the rebirth will take…Romance/Angst, yaoi, Byakuya/Ichigo, Aizen/Urahara, Kenpachi/Tetsuya**NEW CHAPTER!**
1. Slow Death of the White King

**Dark Side of the Light**

**By Spunky0ne**

**(A storyline request from Spunky's Nakama – When Ywach's dead body and powers unexpectedly begin to break down, Central 46 is forced to awaken the king's prism to attempt a royal rebirth. Ichigo is chosen to bear the king's reiatsu in his body and Byakuya to stabilize it until the rebirth, but neither man realizes the terrible toll that the rebirth will take…Romance/Angst, yaoi, not mpreg, as the reiatsu is not in a spirit chamber, but envelops Ichigo's whole body until the king emerges, already in adult form…Byakuya/Ichigo, Aizen/Urahara, Kenpachi/Tetsuya**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

**Chapter 1: Slow Death of the White King**

Slow footsteps echoed in the hallway of the soul king's palace as Hyosube Ichibei approached the throne room. His head dipped slightly and he frowned at the touches of reiatsu that warned him about what waited ahead of him. The guards at the throne room door bowed as he passed, their faces reflecting dark uncertainty.

_They know that something is wrong. We have been in and out of the throne room around the clock trying to keep the dead quincy's body stabilized. We keep calm expressions, but I'm sure they sense it. We need to do something. We need to do something before it is too late._

He moved forward, joining Kirinji Tenjiro beside the throne. He looked down at the quincy king's flickering body as the spring demon kept a swirl of healing water moving around him.

"You get the results?" Tenjiro asked gruffly, "That look on your face makes me think they're not good."

"You are right about that," Ichibei confirmed, reaching up to scratch his bearded chin, "He's definitely in decline, and nothing, not the special protective clothing Senjumaru made, not Hikifune's food and not your water seems to be enough to stop it. We may delay the inevitable for awhile, but..."

Tenjiro sighed and shook his head.

"You think we need to awaken it?"

Ichibei's frown deepened as he turned his head slightly to look at the black prism that sat on a small pedestal near the throne, surrounded in a heavy sealing enchantment.

"According to the will of Central 46, it is supposed to be a last resort."

"Well, don't you think that the fact that the process takes about a month suggests we should start pretty soon? How long will this dead bastard here hold out?"

Ichibei moved in close to Ywach, examining him for several minutes before straightening and meeting his comrade's eyes again.

"I don't think this can wait," Ichibei concluded, "Because of the time it will take and the strain it would be if his body fails too soon, I think we should sound the alarm and begin the process."

Tenjiro gave Ichibei a crooked smile.

"Gets around having to deal with those dipshits down there," he chuckled, "But you'd better have some proof to send to'em. You know the clans don't want to deal with the inconvenience of having an actual king, right?"

"Yes, I am aware, and I will have proof to back it up. But we should begin the process. Will you remove the seal?"

Tenjiro chewed thoughtfully at his lips, then nodded.

"I hope you know what you're doing."

"So do I," Ichibei joked darkly.

Tenjiro left the dead king's side and approached the black prism, extending a hand and focusing his power. After several moments, a loud cracking sounded and the water barrier swirling around the prism fell away. Ichibei approached the prism, his heart quickening as he laid his hands on the cool, smooth surface and fed it with his reiatsu.

"Reiou's Prism," he breathed softly.

His teeth clenched at the sudden rush of angry voices that greeted him.

_Of course the spirits within are furious at being repressed. These are the souls of the former incarnations of the king. I'm sure they are quite aware of exactly why we have not allowed him to be reborn. We warned the noble houses that if it became necessary to attempt a rebirth, the new king would be angry at the long delay._

_I do hope he doesn't just decide we're all not worth it and wipe the slate clean._

_If he did, could we really blame him?_

He turned his attention to connecting with the souls in the prism, his dark eyes glowing as he felt the king's mind touch his.

_You finally allowed us to wake_, the spirits hissed, _The situation must be dire._

Ichibei smiled tentatively.

_It is not as dire as it could be. Some of us simply don't want to take the chance on waiting until it's too late._

Painful heat flashed on the squad zero taichou's skin in rebuke.

_You stood by and did nothing this long._

Ichibei nodded in agreement.

_You know that, although we are strong, your majesty, we cannot completely defy the will of the noble sages. You did place responsibility for your rebirth in their hands._

He felt a bristling sensation.

_We knew there were those who would steal power away from the crown, but we did not fear it because the Shiba and Kuchiki houses have always stood strong against the other houses when there was conflict._

Tenjiro and Ichibei exchanged unhappy glances.

_None of us could have predicted the banishment of the Shiba house._

He sensed immediately that he had stepped over a line.

_We could have predicted it if you had released us sooner!_

_Yes, your majesty,_ Ichibei agreed, _I am deeply sorry we did not act sooner._

_You are here now_, the spirits answered more calmly, _We will name the vessel, the hogosha and the guards._

_Yes, your majesty._

Ichibei drew slow breaths as he waited for several tense minutes.

_The vessel will be Shiba Ichigo. His hogosha will be Kuchiki Byakuya. And you will summon Zaraki Kenpachi and Kuchiki Tetsuya as guards._

_It will be done immediately,_ Ichibei promised.

_You will also summon Aizen Sousuke and Urahara Kisuke,_ the spirits added.

Ichibei's breath caught and his next words were inadvertently spoken aloud.

"Aizen Sousuke?"

Tenjiro's head jerked around in reaction.

"What did you say?" he demanded.

_Your majesty, are you sure? _Ichibei inquired, shaking his head, _We have already endured a war, trying to keep Aizen Sousuke away from you! Why would you…?_

_Have you asked yourself why Aizen Sousuke defected? _the spirits asked, _I am sure that you must understand. He objected to the 'vacancy in the sky.' He was not threatening us._

Ichibei gave the prism a doubtful look.

_Your foresight doesn't tell you what he will do because he is a transcendent_, he noted, _You are taking a very big chance that he will just kill the ones trying to revive you._

Ichibei waited through a long, pregnant pause.

_That is why we need Urahara Kisuke._

_I see_, Ichibei mused, _Very well, I will summon the ones you requested._

_Do not inform Central 46. If you do, they will kill the only chance I have for rebirth. Send the others to gather the ones I specified. Do not tell them we are coming or they will be in danger. Go now, Hyosube Ichibei!_

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya glance quietly over at the young man walking alongside him as the two headed for Byakuya's favorite moongazing spot, at the top of a cliff, underneath a lovely sakura tree that overlooked a pretty waterfall that tumbled down into a moonlit lake at the edge of a large field the two had earlier used for training.

"You know, Ichigo," the Kuchiki leader said, frowning, "the point of me coming to this place each night is so that I can relax under the stars. As riled as your reiatsu is right now, we are unlikely to be able to relax much, if at all."

"Sorry," Ichigo sighed unhappily, "I'm just still pissed about those old jerks trying to run my life. They just wanna butt into everything!"

"They do intrude in their heirs' lives," Byakuya acknowledged, studying his more youthful companion, "but then, as I explained to you, they are concerned about the balances of power within Central 46. Things like reputation and public relations are important in maintaining those balances."

"But why does that have to affect me?" Ichigo complained, scowling, "You know I didn't want to be their goddamned heir! I was born in the living world and I grew up and no one gave a shit in all of that time about me."

"That was your father's doing," Byakuya said quietly.

He realized immediately the boundary he had breached as Ichigo's reiatsu swelled and his golden brown eyes flashed.

"Oh, is that right?" the ginger-haired youth snapped sarcastically, "What're you saying here? You think that my father should have let the woman who saved his damned life die, just because saving her made him have to go into hiding? Who fucking makes all of these rules anyway? These people obviously don't live in the real world that normal people do."

"No, we do not," Byakuya agreed, "The noble clans have great responsibility…"

"To who? The king?" Ichigo asked heatedly, "You know the fucking _dead body _that we're all not allowed to talk about?"

"And yet, you choose not to follow that rule either," Byakuya said reprovingly.

"You really think I _should_?"

Byakuya paused, considering.

"I do think it would be shocking to the general populace to know," he admitted softly, "I know, and it is a burden to me."

"But is it really that?" Ichigo challenged him, "Or is it that they're afraid that the commoners who outnumber them would rebel against the idea of having the noble lords in charge of _everything_? Byakuya, I've been into the Rukongai. I know what the people think. They think there's a king looking out for all of us, when all it really is, is a bunch of old geezers who are taking advantage of the fact the three worlds have no leader!"

"I know how it looks…"

"You do? Cause if you know how it looks, then how can you just let it happen? Why don't you do something?"

"Says the young transcendent who wants to just go home and forget about us."

"That's not fair, and you know it," Ichigo shouted.

"If I may point out, you did ask Rukia to share her power with you to protect your family."

"But my own was in there," Ichigo said sadly, "Even if not for Rukia, it would've come out eventually, wouldn't it?"

"Most likely," Byakuya said in a slightly more sympathetic tone, "And you would be in the same position. The benefit to it having been found in the way that it was is that you have built a connection, here in Soul Society. _Everyone_ knows about you. They respect you and your powers, and they do need you."

"I know," Ichigo said, deflating, "That's why I'm here. But I can complain when it's just the two of us, right?"

Byakuya gave him the slightest of smiles and glanced over his shoulder.

"You mean the three of us," he said, smirking, "Or four, if you count Arashi too."

Ichigo looked up, smiling ruefully at the barely visible shadow in the nearby trees.

"Hey Tetsuya. Hey Arashi," he greeted them, "Sorry about all of the yelling."

"It's all right," Tetsuya assured him, his slender form coming fully into view as he shed the waterform he had been using, "Byakuya-sama also struggled at times, when we were younger, accepting the difficult requirements of leadership."

"I guess I must sound kinda selfish, griping about how all I wanna do is go home and be a normal kid. I knew I was choosing a more difficult life when I decided to go and save Rukia, although I didn't have any idea I'd end up someday leading a noble clan."

"And not just any noble clan," Byakuya added, "One that, along with the Kuchiki clan, has always had heavy influence on Central 46."

"Except when we were banished," Ichigo sighed.

"No," Byakuya corrected him, "Your clan still had a large role in that its absence created chaos for a time."

"And now, we're right back, making trouble again," Ichigo chuckled.

"You sound as though your spirits are beginning to improve," Byakuya observed.

"Well, it's nice talking to someone who can understand."

Byakuya gave him an amused look.

"Only a short few minutes ago, you were angry that I did not seem to understand."

"No, in knew you understood. You just weren't sympathizing with me."

"I do not excel at handholding," Byakuya answered, shaking his head, "but I do wish to make your way easier."

"You've been really good to me since everything came out about my dad. I appreciate that, even though I get pissed off a lot."

"Your confusion and anger are understandable, considering that you did not know your own history. It cannot have been easy learning how much was kept from you all of your life."

"It's not. But I'll figure it out."

He started to say more, then stopped as the reiatsu around the three men began to rise swiftly. Instantly, they summoned their swords to their hands, only to have slender white bonds wrap around their wrists. The three men gasped as the air glowed bright white around them and Shutara Senjumaru appeared in front of them, wearing an angry expression.

"What a rude way to greet a lady comrade!" she scolded the three, at the same time using the bonds to hold them in place."

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Ichigo demanded, "You're from Squad Zero!"

"Why have you come here?" Byakuya asked, glaring at the intruder, "No word was sent to expect a visitor from the royal realm!"

"I don't need permission," Senjumaru scoffed, "I was sent by the king!"

"The king," Byakuya mused, his head going into a spin as the light grew blindingly bright around them.

The last thing the three men saw was three white pods moving towards them.

"Be quiet now," Senjumaru, "Someone wants a word with you!"

XXXXXXXXXX

Kenpachi sat up suddenly in his bed at the eleventh division, his green eyes flying open and his reiatsu swelling around him, shaking the room violently.

"Whatsit?" he muttered sleepily.

He blinked several times to clear his eyes and felt his heart start to pound.

_I feel a strong reaitsu._

_Something powerful, just aching for a fight._

"You're not very perceptive, are you, big fella?" a male voice sneered from somewhere behind him.

Kenpachi turned and flew, naked, out of the bed, only to be swept up into a swirl of hot, blue water and carried away.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Are you really sure about this?" Kisuke whispered, dropping into a crouch beside a dark, hooded figure, "I don't know who's making the decisions, but it seems to me that giving a guy who tried to take over the royal realm a free pass into the place is a really bad idea. I don't know. Maybe it's just me…"

He looked around the darkened area they stood in as the hooded man removed a sword from the belt at his waist and traced a doorway on the wall of the Central 46 compound. He sheathed the sword again and touched the door he had drawn, sending his reiatsu into it. Kisuke grinned as the door clicked and opened.

"Now, I told you not to ask any questions," the hooded man answered, "I was instructed to collect the two of you and bring you up without telling you anything. So, be a good kid and help me get him outta here without tripping an alarm."

"All right," Kisuke sighed, handing the other man an odd, barely visible gigai, "if you say so."

"You did say that your method will keep that monster under control, right?"

"Yeah, it'll do the job," Kisuke assured him.

"Come on. The coast is clear."

The two slipped in through the doorway, then closed it behind him and stood for a moment in a dark, empty corridor, putting their gigais on. They continued down the hallway, careful to remain in the shadows and working their way to the entrance to the prison levels. The shopkeeper crept to the guard station and loosed a puff of gas from a small canister that made the guards stiffen and stare blindly as the two men passed.

"You're sure they won't realize?"

"Yeah," Kisuke said with certainty, "That's the good stuff."

They passed the other guard stations in the same manner, working their way down to the eighth and lowest level. The two slipped inside and headed quickly to the cell that held Aizen Sousuke. To their surprise, Aizen's reiatsu formed voice greeted them as they arrived.

"Ah, guests," he mused, smiling under the full-body bonds, "Who have we here? Urahara Kisuke and…if I am not mistaken, you are Nimaiya Oetsu. My captors seem to have neglected to tell me you were coming. Will you tell me why you're here?"

Nimaiya reached into the bag on his back and withdrew another sword, then he drew his arm back and hurled the weapon at the bound traitor. The sword impaled the prisoner's midsection, sinking into his bonds, then flashing with a strange green light before spinning in Aizen's abdomen and wrapping him in fresh green bindings.

"You just be quiet and come along with us," Oetsu chided him as the bindings quivered, then shrank the prisoner down to doll size, "We've got a job for you."

"That's a pretty neat zanpakutou," Kisuke snickered, "Can I borrow it sometime?"

"Maybe if you let me borrow a few of your toys," Nimaiya laughed, picking the shrunk prisoner up and slipping him into his pack, "Just remember that once we're in the royal realm, you're in charge of making sure this bad boy doesn't get loose."

"I've got him covered," Kisuke promised, "But let's get out of here before we get caught, okay?"

Nimaiya nodded briefly and turned back towards the entrance to the cell. Shaking his head and sighing anxiously, the shopkeeper tipped his green striped had over his eyes and followed.


	2. The Seven

**Chapter 2: The Seven**

Ichigo's mind began to rise out of the blackness, and he encountered the strange sensation of floating, as though he must be suspended in water. At first, when he tried to move, his body would not respond at all. He felt a sense of disconnection, a distance from his physical form that left a tickle of fear in his insides. After several minutes, he started to feel that the liquid around him was warm and that he was able to breathe whatever it was. He relaxed slightly, trying to move his fingers and toes.

"Oh, waking up already, are you?" Tenjiro's garbled voice muttered, "You're pretty headstrong. No worries, though. I've got you. I'm just bringing you and your buddies to full power before we see the king."

_The king?_

_Does he mean we're going to the throne room, where Ywach's body is being kept?_

_What the hell is going on, here?_

"Take it easy, Ichigo," Tenjiro urged him, "We'll explain when everyone's awake and ready. For now, just chill out…though, that's hard to do while you're in my hot springs, right?"

Ichigo felt his body being lifted, then launched through the air.

_Asshole!_

He splashed down into the bloody hell pond and immediately regretted that his senses were beginning to return. The muck felt hot and slimy.

_Ugh! It smells bad too. But it does help cleanse and heal._

_Still, there are some things that even these hot springs can't heal. I've been feeling it ever since the war ended. I mean, when the war started, I was just desperate to protect my friends. I ran to Soul Society to help them and was immediately overpowered by Ywach and Haschwald. I was brought here before to regain my power and to reforge Zangetsu. I haven't forgotten the true origins of my power. I haven't forgotten the price of the war either. Something happened inside me when I saw…when Ywach made me attack the king._

_That wasn't the real king either. It was Ywach's father, who came to the royal realm over about a thousand years ago and sought to kill the true king._

_But the true king was already gone and replaced with a regent. I saw it while I was holding the sword that impaled the king. I didn't say anything about it because I don't think I'm supposed to know._

_I wonder what happened to the true king?_

He felt his body being lifted into the air and tossed again, and he sighed in relief as he crashed down into the white bone pond.

_This pond is a whole lot less disgusting than the other._

He found the feeling of heavy weight leaving his body and managed to crack open a golden brown eye. He was immediately graced with an unexpectedly lovely view of Byakuya's naked and unconscious body, floating near his, beneath the surface of the water. He felt a little chill inside at the memory of the last time the two had visited Tenjiro's hot springs before.

_Byakuya was dying. These springs saved his life. He was in here the longest of all of us. Tenjiro said it was the longest anyone has ever bathed in the hot springs here. He's really strong and he really wanted to live. I'm glad he did. He's been great at helping me get used to noble life._

_He's beautiful._

He felt a stronger tickle inside as he noticed that Byakuya's eyes had opened, and that he was looking into Ichigo's, and wearing what seemed to Ichigo, an adorably confused expression. A moment later, realization flooded his pale face and Ichigo could almost see the haunting events of the past dancing in the water between them.

_I know he has regrets about the beginning of the war. It hurt him more than physically when As Nodt defeated him. His heart took a real beating._

He wasn't sure whether he meant it to happen, but his hand reached out and caught Byakuya's under the water. The Kuchiki leader blinked in surprise and gazed at him quietly as they drifted beneath the surface of the water. After a moment, Byakuya's dark, beautiful eyes registered gratitude. Ichigo smiled at him and felt his body relax. He floated aimlessly at Byakuya's side, letting his mind go blank and drifting towards sleep. He had almost dropped off when he felt something bump up against him and turned his head to find Kenpachi's huge, lanky form in the water with them. Looking around, he spotted Tetsuya's slighter form, then Kisuke's. His eyes found a final body and he felt a jolt go through his insides. He shot up, out of the water and sloshed in the direction of the one he had seen, shouting the man's name as Tenjiro yelled at him to stop.

"Aizen!" Ichigo exclaimed angrily, "What the fuck is he doing here?"

"Hey! Calm down!" Tenjiro snapped, "And, who said that you could get up? I told you to chill out!"

"I'm not just going to _chill out_ when the guy who tried to destroy Karakura town and kill the king is floating around in the royal realm, after all I had to fucking do to keep him out of here!" Ichigo steamed, "What is going on here?"

"Ichigo is right," Byakuya's voice intoned calmly, from just behind the agitated Shiba heir, "We all fought to keep Aizen out of here. We deserve an explanation."

"Well," Tenjiro said, scowling, "maybe if you damned scrubs in the fucking Gotei 13 had done your jobs in the first place, we wouldn't have to bring this guy up here."

"_Have_ to bring him?" Byakuya inquired.

"What the hell does that mean?" Ichigo demanded.

Tenjiro's scowl deepened and the water around the soaking men began to roil. Tetsuya rose out of the water, looking around in dismay. His eyes rounded as a huge shadow rose up over him and he turned to face a naked and equally piqued looking Kenpachi.

"What the…? How did I get here?" the big man muttered, looking around.

He started to step forward and Tetsuya yelped in surprise as the man's large, flaccid member bumped into his side as Kenpachi waded by.

"Scuse me, Cream Puff," Kenpachi said, grinning down at the flustered younger Kuchiki, "I've got some questions for Waterboy, over there."

"You may wanna wait on asking those questions," Kisuke advised him, standing slowly and reaching down to help Aizen Sousuke to his feet, "Tenjiro looks a little angry."

"My apologies for causing such a stir with my mere presence," Aizen said sedately.

The six men made sounds of surprise as the water around them swirled furiously and long tendrils of the boiling liquid shot upward and curled around them, lifting them into the air and holding them tightly. Tenjiro glared up at them scathingly.

"I'll say this once for all of you and then I want you all to fucking _sit down_ and finish getting cleansed. I don't have any answers for you about anything, so shut your pie holes and just do what you're told! You're here under a royal summons, which means you obey and you don't piss and moan about the what's and why's."

The water tendrils released the men suddenly, and they splashed back down into the water.

"Now that you're awake, put these on your heads," the spring demon instructed them, dealing out carefully folded white towels like a deck of cards.

Each of the six caught his towel and paid it on top of his head, before wading to the seats near the edge of the white bone pond.

"Maybe it's just me," Ichigo muttered to Byakuya as he plunked down on the bench seat in the spring, "but I'm not comfortable at all with them just dragging us all up here and telling us what to do."

Byakuya met his eyes in quiet agreement.

"Your agitation is understandable," he concurred, "The actions they are taking are extreme, to say the least."

"You can say that again," Ichigo huffed angrily, "I mean, I've been getting lectured constantly on how it's important to act like a noble heir and set a good example. I'm trying to do that, but then these guys just show up and treat us like we're nobody. And the thing is, we all fucking _know_ that the king is really dead! How can there be a royal summons when there's no king? Tell me that!"

"Actually, there is a way that it is possible for such a thing to happen," Byakuya informed him.

"Only, there is no record of it being known to happen in many hundreds of years," Tetsuya added, looking over from where he sat next to Byakuya.

"I don't know why you're all so hot and bothered about all of this," Kenpachi said in an off-handed tone, "Sure, it was rude of these assholes to come and scoop us up and bring us here like they did, but if they're throwing us in here and powering all of us up, it means they expect there to be fighting. I've got no problem with a good fight."

"No matter what the cause, you're down for a good nasty brawl, ne?" Kisuke chuckled.

"I don't know how you can sit there and not be as pissed off about this as I am," Ichigo seethed, "I want to know who exactly gave that royal order and why they want us here!"

He gave Aizen a scathing look and the traitor smiled warmly in response.

"What are _you_ doing here?" the ginger-haired Shiba heir snapped, "What possible reason, besides complete insanity would anyone have for letting you out of Muken and letting you saunter around the royal realm that we all fought so hard to keep you out of? I'm surprised you haven't slaughtered everyone here!"

"I am currently unable to _slaughter_ anyone with my usual methods," Aizen informed him, "as my reiatsu is being restrained by one of Urahara Kisuke's inventions. If I wanted to fight, it would have to be a fist fight, and I think it's best to leave physical fighting to those who are better suited to it."

"Like me," Kenpachi snickered, "But, are you sure about that? Cause I'd be more than happy to kick your ass around a little. I've got a bone to pick with you about locking me in Hueco Mundo while the war was going on."

Aizen gave the bigger man a knowing smirk.

"Oh, I don't think you really minded, as you amused yourself quite well, fighting Yammy, and testing Byakuya's strength," he answered saucily.

"I guess you have a point there," Kenpachi chuckled, reaching up to scratch the back of his neck, "Yammy wasn't a complete waste of time and I did enjoy the quality time with Kuchiki, afterwards."

"I thought you might," Aizen replied, earning a smoky glare from the noble, "You know, Gin and I bet on who would win each possible confrontation. We both agreed that, although Yammy would keep the two of you occupied for awhile, eventually, you would beat him to a bloody pulp. We did split on you and Byakuya, though."

"Did you?" Kenpachi mused, "Who'd you pick?"

"I felt that, although your reiatsu is brutal and you would beat Byakuya down in a purely physical battle, Byakuya has intelligence and strategy that make the most use of his also strong reatsu. I bet against you. Fortunately for me, Gin died before he could collect on the bet. It was a rather substantial amount."

"Not that money does you a lot of good while you're locked up in the pit at the bottom of the prison," Kisuke interjected.

"Touché," Aizen laughed softly.

The six men looked up as Tenjiro tapped his staff to get their attention.

"All right, scrubs," he said condescendingly, "Get outta the bath and go through that door. You'll find white robes from Shutara and your re-forged swords. Put your clothes on and go on to Hikifune's. It's time for the fun part…eating yourselves silly."

"I'd be annoyed by that little prick if I wasn't so damned hungry," Kenpachi whispered to Tetsuya, "I'm almost hungry enough to inhale you, Cream Puff."

"M-my name is Kuchiki Tetsuya," the slighter man answered, looking up at his much larger counterpart and blushing at the wide, toothy smile he received in reply.

"Cutsie Tetsuya," Kenpachi snickered, reaching down to pat Tetsuya's cheek and leaving the surprised young man blushing, "Nice to meet'cha."

"Cease and desist that insulting behavior with my cousin," Byakuya said, glaring at Kenpachi.

"What? I was polite. I said he was cute, which he is, and I patted his cheek, not his ass. I'm savin' that for later," Kenpachi teased, giving Tetsuya a saucy wink.

"You _barbarian_," the Kuchiki leader hissed between clenched teeth.

"Whoa, hey," Ichigo said, laying a hand on Byakuya's shoulder, "We're all on the same side here, right? I know he has bad manners, but I think we have bigger problems right now."

Byakuya bristled for a moment, but then nodded stiffly.

"You assholes gonna move, or do I have to come and drag your butts outta the water?" Tenjiro snapped, "Get your stuff and move on!"

The six men climbed out of the hot spring and filed past the scowling spring demon and out into a dressing room, where their clothes and swords waited. Kenpachi glanced appreciatively at Tetsuya's lovely blue-steel sword as he wrangled his clothes on.

"Hey, that thing's as pretty as you are," he said, smirking.

Tetsuya bit his lip gently, turning slightly away, his cheeks warming at the furious glare Byakuya gave the bigger man.

"You shouldn't let Kenpachi get to you," Ichigo said in a friendly tone as he dressed near Byakuya, "He's probably just doing it because he wants to start a fight."

"He will get one if he continues to harass Tetsuya," the Kuchiki leader said heatedly.

"Don't start up with him here, though," Ichigo advised him, "Tenjiro's in a crappy mood. He's always kind of a jerk, but didn't you feel it? He's worried about something."

Byakuya expression softened and he gave the ginger-haired man a look of muted surprise.

"That's quite perceptive."

"I've spent some time around Kenpachi," Ichigo chuckled.

"You have my sympathies."

Across the room, Kisuke eyed Aizen's slim, green-handled sword as the traitor lifted it out of the sword stand and placed it at his hip.

"I haven't seen that sword for awhile," he commented, "Frankly, I'm surprised that Central 46 didn't have it destroyed."

"Well," Aizen mused, "as Kyoka Suigetsu and I merged completely, the blade is also transcendent. Simply put, they couldn't kill my zanpakutou, any more than they could kill me."

"Lucky for you," Kisuke said, giving him an odd look for a moment, then looking away.

The group left the spring demon's palace and walked out to the launch pad.

"Man, I'm not looking forward to this part," Ichigo complained, "Don't you think that, for the royal realm, they should have a better way of getting around than launching people through the air?"

Byakuya gave him a confused look, and Ichigo's eyes widened as a floating transport arrived on the launch pad.

"What's that?" Ichigo mused, frowning, "Aren't we…?"

"It is a transport," Byakuya said, shaking his head, "and what did you mean, _tossing people through the air_?"

"Wait a minute!" the younger man objected, "They didn't launch you through the air to Hikifune's and Oetsu's palaces?"

"Of course not," Byakuya said primly, "That would be undignified."

"But…"

"Come, Ichigo," Byakuya said, stepping aside to allow him to board.

"What the heck…"

The men boarded the transport, which carried them to Gaton palace, where they were greeted by Hikifune's larger form.

"Oh, I've been waiting for you boys!" she laughed happily, "Go on in to the banquet room. I'll get cooking."

Given no choice, the six entered the banquet hall and sat down to what seemed an endless feast. Hikifune entered the room repeatedly, looking thinner and lovelier each time, until after several hours, she was in her fittest form and the men at the tables finally reached the point where they could eat no more.

"What happens now?" Ichigo asked the busty Squad Zero taichou.

"Ichibei is waiting in the throne room," Hikifune explained, "He will bring you up to date on what is happening and why you are all here."

"Finally, some answers," Ichigo sighed, "I don't know about anyone else, but I have a bad feeling."

Hikifune moved closer and rested a warm hand on his face.

"Not to worry, Ichigo. You will be all right. You wouldn't be here unless it was very important, and you wouldn't have been called if you were not up to the task."

"What task is that?" Byakuya asked, meeting Hikifune's eyes warily.

"Better go on, now," the other taichou urged them, "The sooner you arrive there, the better."

The group headed out to the launch pad, where the transport waited. They boarded and headed up to the newly restored palace, that looked much less like a cocoon and more like a castle and vast, lovely gardens.

"The place cleaned up nice," Kenpachi said appreciatively.

"It looks better without all of that ice," Byakuya commented.

They were quiet as they reached the palace and filed out of the transport, where they were met by white-clad king's guards. The guards led them into the restored throne room, where Ywach's body sat, surrounded in a crystal prison, much, Ichigo noted, like the one that had imprisoned his doomed father. Ichibei met them short of the throne.

Ichigo noticed suddenly that odd circular diagram on the floor that had six points on the circle, with lines leading to a last point at the center. At the center laid a large, black prism.

"What is that?" Ichigo asked curiously.

"That," Ichibei said solemnly, "is why you have been called here. It is the king's prism."


	3. Inside the Black

**Chapter 3: Inside the Black**

**(An all new chapter!)**

"We have been brought here to revive the true king?" Byakuya mused, his dark eyes shining with mingled wonder and concern.

"The true king?" Ichigo asked, touching the Kuchiki leader's arm questioningly.

_Is this about the king that was here before the regent that Ywach's father killed? _He wondered.

"Interesting," Aizen commented, glancing at Kisuke, who nodded briefly in agreement.

"Revive a king?" Kenpachi complained, "I hope this isn't going to be boring. I was promised a good fight."

Tetsuya looked more closely at the black prism, sensing the riled spirits within it.

"I think that we are going to be making use of our swords and powers in the process," he said with certainty.

"Good," the big man growled softly, his green eyes glinting, "That's what I'm here for."

Ichibei led the group to the center of the throne room and indicated the six points on the floor.

"I will make this short and simple, as I know that your patience has been tested by the process of bringing you here and preparing you for what lies ahead without being able to tell you anything sooner," he said solemnly, "The spirits within the king's artifact were clear that we must bring all of you here and say nothing until you stood in this room. Now that you are here, I will tell you all that we were told."

He paused, taking a steadying breath before continuing.

"As Byakuya, Tetsuya, Kisuke and Sousuke already certainly know," he went on, "the king that was sitting on this throne, the one who was killed by Ywach, was not the true king, but was a regent who was placed there over a thousand years ago when Reiou was supposed to undergo a natural reincarnation ritual to renew his and the consort's souls. Even transcendent souls have to do this from time to time to renew their spirit and power matrix so as to keep functioning correctly. The souls of Reiou and Kuchiki Hajime, his consort, were drawn into the prism, as they were supposed to be, however, the group of noble sages, whose duty it was to oversee the process, decided that they no longer wanted a king running things for them. The sages allowed the souls of king and consort to be drawn into the prism, but then they just sealed the prism and did not complete the ritual. Since that time, a chosen regent has occupied the throne, merely to keep the balance of souls, while the three worlds have been run by the Central 46 sages and judges. When Ywach's father invaded the royal realm and slayed the last regent, he was badly injured and dying. The noble sages knew that they needed someone powerful enough to keep the balance of souls and there was not time, nor did they want to invoke the ritual and awaken the now furious king, Reiou. So, they made a deal with the invader and helped him to survive. He was imprisoned in the crystal structure that stood here before. It was Ywach's own father who was slain in the Soul King Protection War, and it was Shiba Ichigo who cut away the lies and made the way for the true king to return."

Ichibei turned his eyes onto the Shiba heir and gave him an encouraging smile.

"I am sure that it's been a burden to for you to carry that truth, especially as you began to learn more about the greed and corruption within the noble houses," he acknowledged.

Ichigo colored and nodded briefly.

"I didn't say anything," Ichigo said quietly, "because I didn't really understand what it was that Ywach's father revealed to me. But even he seemed to think that the true king should be revived."

"It's not an easy process, to begin with," Ichibei warned the six men, "Understand that the extremes of your abilities and your strength will be tested by the process, and if any of you fail in your prescribed duties, then you will all die and the ritual will have to be attempted a second time."

Ichibei paused again and his eyes darkened ominously.

"If that happens," he continued, "we may not have time to complete the ritual before the balance of souls fails and the worlds are thrown into chaos. It is of utmost importance, then, that the six of you do not fail. Each of you will have revealed to you, your role in what is going to take place. Fulfill your roles and raise the new king, and he just may forgive all of us for keeping him waiting. Fail him, and he may just decide that we're all not worth it and he'll let our worlds end."

Ichibei stepped forward and moved to the edge of the diagram, then he extended a hand and let his reiatsu touch the black prism, making it light from within. The diagram on the floor of the chamber began to glow with golden light, illuminating each of the six points.

"This is the first test," Ichibei warned them, "Choose your positions on the diagram, but…choose wisely. If you step onto the wrong marker, you will be stricken down instantly."

He stepped back, watching as the men exchanged surprised glances.

"Let's get this horse shit over with," Kenpachi snapped, stepping forward boldly, "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm ready for action."

"You might want to…" Kisuke began, but the eleventh division taichou was already moving to claim his place on the diagram.

"You fool!" Byakuya gasped, "You have to sense your place!"

The others watched breathlessly as Kenpachi flash stepped and touched down on one of the points. After several tense moments, the group breathed a collective sigh of relief.

"Well," Kenpachi goaded them, "who's next?"

The others moved closer to the diagram, sensing each of the other points.

"We're supposed to sense our places?" Ichigo asked, "Because, I don't feel anything."

"Neither do I," Aizen said, frowning.

"Me either," Kisuke confessed.

Tetsuya started to speak, then he stiffened and began to move towards the point that resonated across from Kenpachi's position.

"This is my place," he said with certainty, stepping onto the diagram.

There was another pause as the group waited, then noted with relief that the younger Kuchiki had chosen correctly.

"What now?" Ichigo asked, "Do any of you sense anything?"

They moved around the diagram, extending their senses, but found themselves frustrated as none seemed to sense his place.

"Okay," Kisuke said, "so it's not gonna be easy from here on in, but there's got to be a way. Let's look at what we have here. We have Kenpachi and Tetsuya."

"They were chosen as _guards_," Ichibei supplied, "Ichigo is the _vessel_ and Byakuya is the _hogosha_. Kisuke and Sousuke were chosen as well, but we were not given their designations."

"So," Aizen concluded, "we should have the two known chosen move next."

"And since Kenpachi and Tetsuya are balancing each other," Kisuke added, "we need to make sure that we keep that balance."

"Ichigo," Byakuya said solemnly, "as the vessel, I think that you will need to occupy the position closest to the throne. I will take the one opposite you."

"Okay," Ichigo said, nodding, "I trust you."

The two moved to their chosen positions and carefully stepped onto the diagram. There was a tense moment, then the last two men walked around the diagram, trying to sense their positions.

"I am sensing something from the two points," Kisuke said, frowning and studying the one he was closest to, "but there's some kind of interference."

"I feel the same," Sousuke agreed, "The disruption is strong enough that I can't tell which is my position and which is yours."

"Same here," Kisuke said, extending a hand over the nearest of the points, "We need to find a way to clear the chaotic signal, so that we can sense our places."

"A riddle for the smart guys," Kenpachi yawned, "Will you just get th'fuck on with it?"

"Be quiet," Byakuya scolded him, "If they hurry and make a mistake, you know what happens to all of us. Just stand there and keep your mouth shut. Do not distract them."

"Do you have any ideas about what could be causing the disruption?" Ichigo asked Kisuke.

"Well," Kisuke reasoned, "my first guess, since the disruption seems to get more intense when we are near the points and sensing, seems to be that the chaotic vibration is caused by our power."

"Our reiatsu," Aizen added, "So, it makes sense that to read the positions correctly, we need to somehow change how our power is affecting the points."

"I would say that we needed to look at our function to know how to do that," Kisuke went on, "but of all the chosen for the ritual, we were not given our designations. Instead, we were just called here and told we have places."

"I suspect that if we look at your respective abilities and perhaps your personalities and your connections to the king," Byakuya suggested, "we may be able to figure this out."

"All right," Kisuke said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, "both of us are powerful, but Sousuke is a transcendent, so he is much stronger. You are both highly intelligent," Byakuya added, "although Kisuke has used his power to defend the king, while Sousuke had used his power to try to overthrow him."

"Did he?" Kisuke asked, making the others look at him more closely, "Because, if you ask me, I would say that I defended _the status quo_, not the true king."

"But Aizen was looking out for number one," Kenpachi chimed in, "Kisuke was looking out for everyone else."

"I simply desired that power be returned to the crown," Aizen said firmly, "I only chose to place myself there, because of the vacancy that existed. It caused a restless desire in me. Had there been a strong monarch, I would not have felt so compelled to rebel."

"And that means," Kisuke reasoned, "that although you rebelled, you did it because of the injustice that happened, which to you, left that vacancy in the sky…and while I was looking out for everyone, I was allowing Central 46 and the noble clans to continue the lie that the king was looking out for everyone."

"It sort of seems that the two of you wanted the same things all along," Tetsuya interjected, "You were just approaching the problem from different angles."

"Ah," Aizen said, his eyes lighting, "we were different in _method_, but we were joined in _purpose._"

"And each of you made a hogyoku," Ichigo recalled, "right?"

"Yes," Aizen agreed, "but I fed his hogyoku to mine. Now, there is only one."

"But," Kisuke said, looking into Aizen's cool, brown eyes, "we both want to raise the new king, don't we?"

Aizen gave him a chilling smile.

"As long as Reiou is not a disappointment to me, I will accept him," he answered, "but expect me to be rigorous in testing him."

"Trust you for that," Kisuke chuckled.

He looked down at the two open points, thinking carefully.

"Knowledge and power," he muttered, "We both have those. Sousuke excels in the power, while I have more wisdom?"

"Hmm," Byakuya said softly, "but the king possesses both power and wisdom in balance. Those things must be joined in purpose and must guide him in all decisions."

"They need to be joined…" Kisuke and Sousuke said together, their eyes meeting.

The two men stood opposite each other, each letting a stream of reiatsu extend across the diagram to join with the stream coming from the other.

"The interference is less!" Kisuke said triumphantly, "It feels like we're getting closer."

"But we need something more," Aizen said decidedly.

The two looked at the others and nodded together.

"We _all_ need to join for this to work," Kisuke concluded, "C'mon, hook up!"

The other men on the remaining points extended streams of reiatsu towards their counterparts, causing a bright blue glow to radiate powerfully all around the lit diagram.

"Yes!" Kisuke exclaimed excitedly, "I feel it now. This is my position."

He stepped onto the point nearest him, and was accepted.

"And this is mine," Aizen added, stepping onto the last point.

As he made contact with the point, the power within the king's prism flared blindingly, and Ichibei backed out of the throne room and sealed the door. He laid a shaky hand on it and sighed raggedly.

"Now, it is up to all of you."

Inside the room, a flameless blaze enveloped the diagram and the men standing on it. The heat raked their bodies and wild howls filled their shocked minds as the king's power was fully unleashed. The power wrapped around the group, swirling in a gripping maelstrom that brought them swiftly to the ends of their endurance, but also pushed them beyond.

Bright golden light shot out of the awakened prism and it wrapped around the bodies of the two guards and Kisuke and Sousuke. Their brilliant forms glowed more brightly, then began to fade.

"What's happening?" Ichigo roared, "Did we choose wrong or something?"

"No," Byakuya shouted over the howl of the storm of power, "I think that those four represent the power of the king and the forces that control it. As the vessel, you hold the king's matrix, so they will be brought…into you!"

The two men watched as the others fully disappeared and the circle of gold like swirled and spun towards Ichigo. He gritted his teeth and remained frozen on his spot as the golden ball of power struck him, tearing a scream from him as the light became so bright that everything around them disappeared. Their bodies were engulfed, then lifted and thrown down forcefully.

They laid, stunned, for a time, their eyes still too filled with light to see. Very slowly, the power receded, leaving the two collapsed and panting in recovery. Ichigo groaned at the burning all through his body, but just as the feeling threatened to make him melt completely into nothing, Byakuya's slender hand took hold of his, and he felt the cool touch of the noble's stabilizing power.

"Wh-what are you doing?" he asked dazedly.

"Your reiatsu was bcoming chaotic from the stress of being filled with the king's soul matrix," the Kuchiki leader explained, "I sensed that I was chosen to protect you through this ritual. I will need to calm your reiatsu whenever it destabilizes. The process of carrying the king's matrix will tax your body. It is my job to keep those forces in balance while you mature the king's reiatsu matrix so that he can be restored."

The two quieted as Byakuya continued the stabilizing infusion and the space around them resolved into, not the throne room they had been in, but lovely gardens, at the center of which stood a healing pool and steaming waterfall. All around them, beautiful plants, trees and flowers grew, and wild animals roamed freely.

"What is this place?" Ichigo asked, studying their surroundings more closely as his body calmed and the pain receded, "Where are we? And where are the others?"

"The others have been drawn into the matrix inside of you," Byakuya explained, "Whatever roles they will play will be contained inside the matrix for the duration of the king's reincarnation. It is our job to remain here and to stabilize and grow the king's matrix, while they form the basis for the king's mind and power."

Ichigo watched silently as Byakuya finished the infusion, then sat back, sighing wearily.

"You all right?" he asked, noting the Kuchiki leader's obvious discomfort.

"I will be fine," Byakuya said reassuringly, "But, I think that at the end of each infusion, I will need to rest in the healing pool to restore myself."

"Are you sure that's all you need?" Ichigo pressed, "You look really pale."

"I will be all right," Byakuya said, standing.

He paused and swayed, then started to collapse, only to be caught up in Ichigo's arms and helped to the healing pool.

"I apologize for my unsteadiness," he said, coloring.

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo said, smiling at him, "We're in this together, right?"

"We are," Byakuya agreed, "Ichigo, thank you for taking care of me."

Ichigo shrugged.

"You've taken care of me," he answered, "I'll always take of you too."

The two undressed and sank down into the meltingly hot water of the king's healing pool, relaxing together as the forces within Ichigo's body throbbed and pulsed. Neither man spoke, but the same thought radiated in both of their minds.

_The process is horribly painful and draining…so that I wonder, what will happen to us when the king is revived? Will we be restored? Or…is this process really some kind of ritual sacrifice?_


End file.
